Course Description

LAW 436 - International Migration

This course is a joint offering in collaboration with Professor Roger Waldinger of the UCLA Department of Sociology. We seek to offer a comprehensive multi–disciplinary overview of the key current theoretical and policy debates in the study of international migration. Our goal is to explore comparatively (in both historical and cross-national dimensions) the North American, European and other global experiences of migration and the law’s responses to migration at national and supranational levels. The emphasis is on exploring both the theoretical and policy debates of the field and the empirical data and case studies on which these debates hinge. The long term goal is to encourage students to undertake research and engage in policy work or policy–centered practice at the intersection of law and social science in the field of migration studies. Total enrollment will be limited to 30 students, with 15 slots open to law students and 15 to graduate students in the social sciences, principally in Sociology. We trust that the discussions will reflect a variety of disciplinary perspectives to the benefit of all participants. The course will meet during the fall quarter, from October 1 through December 3, with a take–home final exam.